Assembly Member Kalra's animal dissection legislation mandates alternative assessments for California public school students who decline to participate in animal dissection activities. The bill requires teachers to provide comparable non-dissection options without academic penalties and furnish information about animal sourcing and preservation chemicals upon request.

The legislation establishes new notification requirements, directing schools to inform students and parents in writing about dissection alternatives and complaint procedures. The State Department of Education must develop a standardized notice template by November 1, 2026, for schools to use in these communications. The bill incorporates dissection-related complaints into California's Uniform Complaint Procedures system, providing an formal avenue for addressing potential violations.

Public schools operating programs from kindergarten through grade 12 must comply with these provisions, including district schools, county offices of education, charter schools, and state special schools. The bill encourages schools to explore non-animal teaching methods by July 1, 2028, while maintaining existing protections that require parental documentation of students' objections to dissection activities.